Page 39 of Echoes of the Banshee

“Yeah.” I nod, surprised he knows my name. I decide to feign disinterest. “Is it Lex?”

He chuckles softly. “No, it’s Levi. But close enough.”

I follow him into the food line.

As we pass the fruit station I notice the strawberries. The perfect opening. “When I was little, I called bananas ‘banana-B’s.’ My sister never let me live it down.”

He laughs, but it’s a short, polite chuckle, and he doesn’t elaborate. “Siblings, right?”

Not a definitive no.

“You were in my statistics class last year, right?” I ask, trying to keep him talking.

“Yeah. You were the only freshman. What’s your power, math?” he jokes.

I laugh. “There is a statistical probability that it could be. Though statistics is just logic. Calculus is a whole other beast. I’m probably going to fail.”

“I don’t understand it at all,” he agrees. “But if you sit by the shadow freak in the library he will give you the answer. I know it’s gross to sit next to him. But the loser—”

“—stop talking,” I cut him off. “Mavrik is twice the witch you are.”

I stomp past the cashier and have to double back to pay. My eggs slip off my plate as I slam the tray down. Before I take a bite, I pull out my notebook and furiously scratch off Levi’s name.

Then I stare at Mavrik’s name. I should’ve eliminated him a few times. But I can’t.

There’s something about him and his shadows. I scan the room but don’t see him. Maybe he already went to calculus. I eat quickly and make my way there.

“Hey,” I greet Mavrik, who’s the only person already in the classroom.

He looks around the room, then back at me. “Hi.”

“I didn’t see you at breakfast.”

“You looked for me?” he asks, then shakes his head for a second. “I make a protein shake.”

“Oh, no way you’d get me to skip breakfast. I love waffles,” I toss out, holding my breath.

“Waffles are—” a nightblind girl enters and slams her bag into the back of Mavrik’s seat. He snaps his mouth closed and looks away.

Damn, that was the easiest question.

One of his shadows snakes around my wrist as I concentrate on my school work. Even my second time through calculus isn’t any easier. And I don’t want to give Vivien any excuse to undo my schedule changes.

Mavrik is out the door the second the bell rings. I try to catch him, but he’s gone, so I head over to English.

“Adora,” Anita says in a stage whisper as she sits next to me. “Are you sick?”

“Huh?”

“It’s been a week since you wore an illusion, and you’re wearing jeans again.” She shudders.

“Not sick,” I reply plainly. Hoping she’ll leave it alone.

“I get that you’re depressed, but this isn’t a good look… I saw what you ate at breakfast today… you’re going to gain weight… is your magic failing again? Is that why you don’t have any illusions?”

She reaches forward, her magic dancing. I swat her hand away.

“I’m fine, Anita.”